


A Colonel's Nightmare

by clgfanfic



Category: War of the Worlds (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-12-03 04:00:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A missing scene from the episode "Goliath is My Name."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Colonel's Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Green Floating Weirdness #15 under the pen name Angelica Cooper-Smith.

_"Enough already."_

 

Harrison, running across the bright green open mall at Ohio Polytechnical, chased by the alien-blended football player.

Blackwood reached the waiting bicycle, mounted, and peddled off, but the alien was powerful, fast.  The distance between them closed.

Reaching the research building, Harrison abandoned the mountain bike and charged inside, the door not quite falling closed before the alien was also inside, running the scientist down.

Harrison charged down the hall, rounded the corner and entered the room, heading directly for the containment laboratory.  Before Ironhorse could blink or breathe, the alien was there as well, both men entering the lab at almost the same moment.  The alien's hands reached out, grabbing Blackwood's throat, quickly squeezing the life out of the man as the colonel secured the door…

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Ironhorse woke with a gasp and lay, staring up at the dark ceiling of his bedroom.  With a shaky hand he reached up and wiped the sweat off his face, sighing heavily.  The nightmare just wouldn't let him go.

With an annoyed grunt he turned over, finding a comfortable position on his side, and forced himself back to sleep.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

It was happening again.

Harrison, running across the bright green open mall at Ohio Polytechnical, chased by the alien-blended football player.

He reached the waiting bicycle, mounted, and peddled off, while the alien closed the distance between them.

Reaching the research building, Harrison abandoned the mountain bike and charged inside, the door not quite falling closed before the alien was inside, running the scientist down.

Harrison charged down the hall, rounded the corner and entered the room, heading directly for the containment laboratory.  Before the colonel could react the alien was there, both men entering the lab at almost the same moment.

Harrison turned and started out, but the door was already swinging shut.  The alien grabbed the back of Blackwood's shirt, dragging him away from the door.  He screamed, his arms flailing…

"We have no choice," Suzanne was saying as she activated the vacuum.  "We have to terminate him before he gets to us."

Ironhorse wanted to reach out and stop her, but it was too late.  Harrison and the alien exploded…

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Paul jerked and sat up.  Looking around the darkened room, he cursed softly under his breath.  Why the hell was he having the same dream over and over?

 _Stress_ , he guessed, lying back down.

Ohio had been a close call, but he'd had close calls in the past.  Closer in fact, and those hadn't triggered nightmares.

He rolled over onto the opposite side and drifted back to sleep.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Harrison, running across the bright green mall, chased by the alien-blended football player.

He reached the waiting bicycle, mounted, and peddled off, the alien closing the distance between them.

Reaching the research building, Harrison abandoned the mountain bike and charged inside, the door not quite falling closed before the alien was inside, running the scientist down.

Harrison charged down the hall, rounded the corner and entered the room, heading directly for the containment laboratory.  The alien entered as Ironhorse reached for the controls at the same moment.  Harrison turned, waiting for the alien to enter before he darted out.

The alien charged in and Harrison bolted forward, tripping as he reached the door.

Blackwood fell, the alien lunging for the door, trampling the scientist as it did…

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

"Enough already," Ironhorse growled into the night as he opened his eyes and rolled back onto his back.

 _Why?_ he demanded of himself silently.  _I want an answer, and I want it now, mister._

Relaxing in the warm bed, Ironhorse allowed his feelings and thoughts to fall into place.

There were times _he_ wanted to kill Blackwood.  Times like Ohio when the man was uncannily right about the aliens, when he took unnecessary risks, when he put the Project in jeopardy – even if it was for a good reason and he did turn out to be right.

He just wasn't used to working with civilians who were tapped into body-snatching aliens…

Blackwood was weird.  Blackwood was annoying.  Blackwood was a royal pain-in-the-ass, but he knew his aliens.

Blackwood was his mission.  And despite the man's reckless tendencies, Ironhorse was going to keep him alive long enough to win this new war of the worlds.

Even if he had to kill him to do it.

Maybe that was the answer.

Paul grinned and nodded, then rolled over and snuggled into his blankets.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Harrison, running across the bright green open mall at Ohio Polytechnical, chased by the alien-blended football player.

He reached the waiting bicycle, mounted, and peddled off, but the alien was powerful, fast.  The distance between them closed.

Reaching the research building, Harrison abandoned the mountain bike and charged inside, the door not quite falling closed before the alien was inside, running the scientist down.

Harrison charged down the hall, rounded the corner and entered the room, heading directly for the containment laboratory.  The alien rushed into the room, following Blackwood into the lab.

Ironhorse stepped forward, pressing the buttons that would lock the alien in the small facility.  Harrison jumped past the closing doors and back into the room as Suzanne moved to the control panel.

The alien picked up a stool, breaking the first glass pane separating them from the creature.  The second pane followed the first, then the vacuum took over, killing the alien.

The colonel grinned maliciously at the alien slime now splattered all over the lab.  "So long, asshole," he said softly, then looked to Harrison.

"See, I told you this would work," Blackwood gloated.

Ironhorse grinned, then decked the scientist with a single blow.  Harrison dropped like a pole-axed calf, wide blue eyes disbelieving.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

A slight smile lifted the colonel's lips as he continued to sleep peacefully…


End file.
